Winter 25 Program 13

Program #13 (3rd Floor)

Doors are a Hammers Bestfriend by Jociel Tambone

FREE SEX!! by Hassan Sharif

Hair Salon and Sam by Linda Herskovic

One Night by A. Dean Bell

Daisy Duarte (Donna) - Daisy is a Queens based actress and directress. She has been acting for  the last 7 years, on the stage and recently on the screen. She has recently graduated with a theatre  degree from CCNY, and is now beginning her acting journey away from the world of  academic’s. She is ecstatic to be working with the cast and crew of Doors are a Hammers Best  Friend. 

Kevin Guaman (Miguel) - Kevin began his acting journey through an improv program in high  school. After graduating from CUNY City College of New York as a theater major, he has  worked mostly on various short films. This is his first theater role as a graduate and is grateful for the opportunity to perform in Chain Theater. 

Stiles Ramirez (Fred) - He loves performing. He has been performing for roughly 10 years on  and off. He feels at home when I'm performing and being able to connect with a multitude of  people on the stage. He prays that he can positively impact at least one person's life by using a gift God blessed him with. 

Nicole Ulloa (Director) - Nicole Ulloa is a graduate of City College. She developed a love for  directing during her time as a theatre student in college and has dabbled in acting back in high  school. She enjoys listening to music in her free time and relaxing at home. 

Jociel Tambone (Playwright) - Jociel Tambone is a 20-year-old Afro-Latino playwright, and this  is the premiere of his one-act play Doors Are a Hammers Bestfriend. He began playwriting in high school and has written musical theater. He is currently working with Freya Gonzalez on a new musical Allora's Light as the Book Writer and Composer. He is super thankful to Chain  Theatre for giving Jociel the opportunity to premiere his work, as well as Open Hydrant Theater  Company and City College for giving him a platform to discover his artistry. 

Hassan Sharif (WRITER) is a Brooklyn-born writer finishing his Senior year at NYU Tisch with a BFA in Dramatic Writing. His work has been selected for play festivals in and out of NYU, such as the New York Theatre Festival and the Knife Dog Play Festival. He has worked in the entertainment industry bicoastally as an intern at both The Daily Show, and Blumhouse Productions, along with being selected for NYU London’s Advanced Screenwriting Program. His favorite writers include Kurt Vonnegut, Spike Lee, and Kendrick Lamar. His favorite genre to write is a fusion of supernatural horror and historical drama, and his goal is to write for television out of college.

France Jones (DIRECTOR) is a Texas-raised, New York-based creative specializing in writing and theatre production. She is excited to once again work with Hassan in this timely, hilarious piece of satire. Directing FREE SEX!! has been an enriching process for Jones and she is excited to share her vision with the world during this festival.

Carson Thomas (JEFFREY WILLIAMS) is a Black creative who spreads joy by imbuing characters with aspects that he has learned from getting to know and love people. Carson is a senior at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts and has trained in the Meisner Studio under teachers such as Karen Chamberlain and Gigi Buffington. He is currently studying in the Lee Strasberg Studio and has/is working with instructors like Robert Ellerman and Kelsey Pietrapalo. Carson has played Pops in What Happens Under The Tree, a student written/directed piece by Kamiah Vickers, as well as Cousin/Mind in Everybody, directed by Kathleen Capdesuner and written by Branden Jacob-Jenkins. He is so excited about where the world and his career will take him after graduation. Carson thanks you a lot for coming and if he smiles at you during the show it was definitely planned. Enjoy !

Daniel Baesler (BRIAN STEEL) (he/him) is an NYC-based actor and composer. He is a student at NYU and has trained Practical Aesthetics with the Atlantic Acting School. He recently performed as Butch Honeywell in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot with the Frayed Knot Collective as well as Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night in the Atlantic Theatre Company’s Off-Broadway Stage 2 Theater. In addition to performing, Daniel is a self-taught composer and recently created music and sound design for Viscera Theater Company’s production of Lost Girl by Kimberly Bellflower, as well as some short films. He is deeply grateful to Hassan, France and Mia for the opportunity to perform this amazing work!

Xavier Jefferson (TODD MOSCOWITZ)  is an NYC-based actor and a recent NYU Tisch graduate. Following his recent projects in Film, he is hugely excited to return to the Theater, where he began his love for acting. 

Jameal Bailey (GHOST) is an actor from Brooklyn, NY. Jameal recently graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied acting. Jameal is excited to be telling this remarkable story. He wants to continue to use his voice to tell untold stories of characters who have lost their voice in the world therein. Jameal has played in many productions such as Summertime by Charles L Mee, in the role of Edmund, A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller, understudying Eddie, and Failure to Communicate by Allie Smith, the role of Walter at Atlantic Stage 2. He was also in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Robin Starveling and Julius: Harlem’s Caesar as Lorne, produced by Tier5TheatreCompany— Jameal hopes to further his career and expose the world to the voices of Black queer artists. 

Mia Fritz (Producer & COLLETTE STEEL) is a NYC based actor, dancer, and creative who has fostered her love for the arts since the age of ten. She is now a senior at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and will receive a BFA in Theatre this coming May. Most recently, she appeared in Epic Fog’s production of Macbeth as Witch and Angus. During her time at NYU, Fritz has performed in numerous student films and theatrical productions including Everybody (God); The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Cunningham); and The Seven Deadly Sins (George Walbeck). Aside from performance, Fritz spent a semester in Los Angeles working for Intuition Productions to expand her knowledge in the business of film. She is looking forward to her final semester at NYU, as she is making her producing debut while working with her incredibly talented friends and artists in Sharif’s production of Free Sex!! 

Adelia Castillo (MARIAH) (she/her) was born and raised in NYC. Surrounded by the arts, Adelia discovered her love for performing in high school. She completed her primary training at the Atlantic Acting School. In the summer of 2023, she attended the International Theatre Workshop in Amsterdam. That fall, she completed a transfer track at the Experimental Theatre Wing.

Adelia recently made her off-Broadway debut at the Atlantic Theatre Company in Avery Deutsch's The Winter Guard Play, portraying the character Jess. Prior to this, she showcased her talent in the Tisch Mainstage production of Aphra Behn's The Rover, embodying the role of Pedro. Her most recent work includes The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, where she played Mother Teresa and St. Monica. 

Adelia is excited to be part of the production of FREE SEX alongside some of her friends, where she will play the role of Mariah the Scientist.

Maximiliano Fermin: (STAGE MANAGER) is a drama student at NYU Tisch. Max loves being a part of the theater, having worked many roles backstage and as an actor in many shows in New York, the California Bay Area, and abroad for a summer in Italy. 

Lily Potarf (Angela) A graduate of Pace University’s BFA in Acting for Film, Television, Voice-overs, and Commercials, Lily has acted in various short films and most recently wrapped her first feature film! Her recent stage work includes Wasted at The Tank, and Acknowledging the Elephant of my Unborn Child for the New York Theatre Festival. See more of her work at www.LilyPotarf.com

MC Crosby (she/they) (Theresa) is a performer and playwright with work produced in New York, Scotland, Japan, China, Indonesia, Singapore, and Madagascar. They were a finalist for the McKnight National Residency and won the Kaufman Playwriting Award for their immersive yoga play "Um…Om." They have been published in Smith and Kraus and other works. With a fusion of dance and poetry, MC’s social justice wellness plays tackle gender and Queer identity, mental health, and body image.

Lauren Snyder (Gigi) is a Queens-based actress, mom, and Mets fan. Recent stage roles include Candida in GBS’s CANDIDA, Becca in RABBIT HOLE and Mistress Page in THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. Repped by DDO Artists (on-camera commercial) and Dream Maker Talent Management (commercial, film, TV). Proud graduate of Pennsylvania State University. IG: @laurensgotmoxie

Dave Bobb (director) is a NYC based artist who, alongside directing and casting on-camera film, has helped actors as a coach book over 40 tv shows, films & commercials when he isn’t booking them himself. He is excited to be transitioning that knowledge to the stage to bring this wonderful play to life. You can check him out at www.davebobb.com

Linda Herskovic is a playwright and former standup comic. Her full-length play, All About Evie, was awarded a New Voices Fellowship from Ensemble Studio Theater. Her many short plays have been in festivals and produced all over. She is currently working on her memoir. She is thrilled to be part of this festival and thanks her co-producer Daniel Shapiro, Helene Galek, Dave Bobb and Marc Castle for casting and all the wonderful creative people who helped bring Hair Salon back to life.

A. DEAN BELL(playwright/director) is an award-winning writer and director.  His second feature film, What Alice Found, garnered a Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival and numerous other festival awards.  A New York Times Critics Pick, the film is available on most VOD platforms.  Other notable works - Step Dude for Fox Broadcasting, the PBS documentary Sweet Tornado and as writer/director/showrunner on the long-running ESPN series SportsFigures, winner of a regional Emmy and many other awards.  An Honors graduate of the Purchase College BFA Film program where he is currently an Associate Professor and Chair of the Playwriting and Screenwriting BA.  He's happy to work with such a wonderful group at The Chain and excited to see so many students from his program at Purchase who have works in the festival.

SASHA CREWS (Olivia) is thrilled to make her debut at The Chain Theatre as Olivia. A NYU Tisch alum, Sasha recently wrapped as the lead in a TV pilot and has appeared in numerous shorts, feature films, and modeling campaigns. Recent stage credits include By the Way, Meet Vera Stark and Small Mouth Sounds at Atlantic Theatre Co. and Playwrights Horizons. While continuing her work in film and modeling, she is excited to return to the stage, where she truly feels at home. Deepest gratitude to her family & friends for always being in her corner!

KRYSTAL EJESIEME (Beca) is a Nigerian-American actress and proud graduate of the William Esper Studio in NYC, where she trained in the Meisner technique. Over the past couple of years, she has taken on lead roles in several acclaimed short films, including Adieu (2023), which was selected to premiere at the 2024 Chelsea Film Festival. When she’s not performing, Krystal channels her creativity through her work in the music industry, crafting impactful stories for creators and artists. Offstage, she loves traveling, discovering new music, and sharing laughs with friends over dinner. Krystal hopes to inspire others to pursue their dreams and embrace their unique potential, just as she continues to chase her own.

SCOTT BAUSEMER is a writer and actor currently living in New York. He is drawn to storytelling which best represents the perils and passions of being human in an insensible world and finds inspiration across artistic mediums, be it music, novels, or photographs. He has been studying the last three years for both screen and stage work at the T Schreiber Studio. His favorite writer is David Foster Wallace.

SAMUEL KERAN (Josh) Born and raised in Minnesota, Sam graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2021 with a BFA in Acting and a BFA in Technical Design and Production. Currently daylights as the Technical Director at Lee Strasberg Institute, while pursuing his further goal of full time actor. Most recently, he appeared as Wilhelm Fliess in Crazy About You at the Producers Club.